I am looking into driving lessons for my nearly 17 year old.  Most of the places we have seen seem to be offering (and recommending) 2 hour lessons instead of 1 hour.  Does anyone have any experience of which is better?  And blimey aren't they expensive!!

I would recommend from experience that a double session once a week is ideal. An hour is over so quickly, it took me a least 1/2 hour to build up my confidence. I used to pay for mine in a block of 10. It cost £125.00, that was 8 years ago, how much are they now-a-days?

I would say 2 hours is much better than one, you are tired by the end but you get so much more out of them. I payed £14 an hour about 2 and a half years ago and it took me about 10 months, passed my theory first time with all correct and passed my practical second time.
The tests are getting more difficult, they expect much more of candidates now than even when I passed 2 years ago so getting out there and driving as much as poss is paramount
Good luck :)

My 19 year old has just failed her first test after taking umpteen £20 lessons.  To be fair it would seem that nerves let her down more than anything else plus the examiner took her to places she hadn't been to before (failing on part of instructor?  I don't know).  By comparison my 21 year old took an intensive driving course over two weeks and passed first time no problems. This worked out to About £500+ (can't remember exactly) It sounds a lot but when you work out the lessons, test etc it is swings and round-a-bouts. Then went on and completed her driver plus a few weeks later.

hi, my husband tom is a driving instructor in west yorkshire, he does recommend 2 hour lessons and although it may seem like a money making scheme it is in fact for the pupils benefit. if you can only manage one hour a week no driving instructor should have a problem with that and it may be that you could take your son out for lessons yourself to increase the amount of driving he does.  (this takes extreme courage!!!).  one tip when enquiring about driving lessons, ask the instructor what grade instructor he is.  level 5 is the highest and most preferable, but there are not many grade 5 instructors out there.  a grade 4 instructor would be of a very good level and a lot easier to find.  if you are going with one of the bigger better known driving schools make sure that the instructor is actually qualified and not in fact a trainee and if you are prepared to go with a trainee make sure your lessons are priced accordingly.

Thanks to all of you.  The cheapest lessons in our area seem to be about £20 an hour if you book a block of ten.  Looks like we might have to go for 2-hour lessons then.  Let's hope he passes quickly!

I passed 2 years ago and i was paying £17 per hour but i had to have 2 hour lessons most of the time because of the distance from my house to the test route!

My lessons are £20 an hour (normal rate for independents here) Have always had hour lessons however just changed instructor and he got me in hour n half lessons, Mainly because his so full mine and his timetable doesn't find 2 hours!

It is expensive I'm in a part time job paying from them all myself while also studying full time at school so can't work much.  A months wages will go on driving lessons with just a little left over.  Too much but you have to pay it if you want to drive...

[quote] hi, my husband tom is a driving instructor in west yorkshire, he does recommend 2 hour lessons and although it may seem like a money making scheme it is in fact for the pupils benefit. if you can only manage one hour a week no driving instructor should have a problem with that and it may be that you could take your son out for lessons yourself to increase the amount of driving he does.  (this takes extreme courage!!!).  one tip when enquiring about driving lessons, ask the instructor what grade instructor he is.  level 5 is the highest and most preferable, but there are not many grade 5 instructors out there.  a grade 4 instructor would be of a very good level and a lot easier to find.  if you are going with one of the bigger better known driving schools make sure that the instructor is actually qualified and not in fact a trainee and if you are prepared to go with a trainee make sure your lessons are priced accordingly. [/quote]

Instructors are actually graded between 1 and 6, 1 to 3 are all unacceptable 4 is ok 5 is good 6 is excellent ( highest/best )
Some trainee instructors could be far better than some qualifed instructors as they are much more upto date with modern teaching methods and requirements and also have much more enthusiasm.
Whilst 2 hour lessons have their benifits dont feel forced into these, start off with 2 separate 1 hour lessons per week then increase when you feel ready. Remember you get what you pay for just ask yourself why are they charging less than everyone else ;)

My daughter is learning to drive, Thank goodness, she is 27 with 3 children so we have had to get a 7 seating to accomodate the extended family, she is paying £38 pounds for a 2 hours lesson, she is low on selfasteam  it is one thing that she is actually do. Kylye is anorexic, and we are hoping that it may boost her to to make her feel more confidence.

As soon as she pass's I am out for a new 2 seater convertable, one seat for me and one for the dog, with his seat belt on and gogles for the dogs eyes.

Lynn

I think that although it is expensive it is money well spent to pay for lessons after you pass your test. Initially to get you going on the motorways. We make a point of getting instruction of some kind every couple of years and it is great fun. It adds so much to your driving to learn how to drive at high speed, learn the observation of a police driver, learn how to control a skidding car etc. I think OH is planning lessons in a HGV next! 

My son started his lessons on his 17th birthday and he had one hour lessons, one a week.  He put in for his theory test straight away, (as you cannot put in for your driving test until you have passed your theory), the driving test in our area has a 3 month wait.  Start to finish in 4 months.  I wish he had been so eager with his school work/exams etc.  The thrill of driving was obviously more exciting!!

i passed 3 and a half years ago now - blimey doesnt time go fast.

I had 1 hour lessons with the AA and then 2 hour lessons with a trainee instructor with BSM and i have to say that firstly the trainee instructor was a lot better and secondly the 2 hour lessons really helped and you get so much more done in them

hi jan,

i went with the AA when i was learning, and they only offered 2hrs unless you specifically requested 1hr-that might just have been my instructor though.

i did a 1hr lesson once, and iit was crap. By the time i'd gone out and done some manouvres, i had to come back!

as for expense, i think i paid £18 an hour-i bought them in bulk upfront though, so it worked out at £12 an hour with the discount. I got a years free breakdown recovery too.

i must say though, if i had to do my test again now, i'd probably fail. My bad habits have got worse and worse......

nicola

A friend of mine, went with a company based in Blackpool Lancs called Omega ( they have a website)

She said they were great, they put you up in a local b &b and you do a long driving course one week or two depending on experience.

She also did her theory in the same week with them and they gave theory lessons .

She passed both theory and driving test , they have people travelling from all over the uk to learn with them !

Gosh glad i don't have to go through that again !

P.s a level 6 is the highest an instructor can be.

Hope that helps

Sarah x

just to throw a different perspective in...

i passed my driving test at the start of Aug this year, i found two hour lessons were too much - when your learning to drive you need to remember a lot of new info and i tried a two hour lesson and found myself getting jaded and tired which meant i didnt really remember all of the little tips i learnt in the second hour...

I went back to one hour lessons and that worked much better for me, during the week i would also squeeze in half an hour or an hour with hubby where i could.

I passed first time with just 10 hours tuition. For comparison, i paid £18.00 per hour to learn in my own car.

I think you would be best to let your son try a single and a double and let him decide what works best for him. No point in you paying for two hours if he doesnt feel he learns anything from the second hour. Might as well have that second hour on another day of the week :)

yeah but did you live near to the test centre/route? From where i live to my test centre is a good half hour drive away so if i only had an hour by the time i got there i would have to turn straight back round, so by having 2 hours i could drive to that area and drive around and get used to that area and still have time for manouvers, i only had a couple of 1 hour lessons in my area just for practising parking and stuff!!

I live about 20 mins away from my local test centre, the route we actually went on for my test was not a route i had 'practiced' why my tutor. I dont see why it should need to be anyway, they are not testing your knowledge of the local area, its how you drive that matters . When you pass you wont just drive in that area so experiencing different roads and situations with your tutor should be the key - not learning the test route. :)